NH: Hearing on Concealed-Carry Licensing Repeal - Feb 8 10:00am

M

mvpel

New member
On Tuesday, February 8, at 10:00am, the Criminal Justice and Public Safety Committee of the New Hampshire General Court will hold a hearing on HB 285, which seeks to repeal the requirement for a government license in order to carry concealed, or carry a loaded firearm in a motor vehicle.

The hearing will be held in Room 204 of the Legislative Office Building, located behind the Statehouse in Concord, NH.

Hope to see you there!
 
Not really, this is a perennial bill - the hearing for last year's version took place two days after I was grabbed by the Manchester Police, and the main argument against it was that "people can just carry openly."
 
That's precisely why I moved from California to New Hampshire in November 2003. I just filed my last California tax return, asking them to cough up the last $182 that my employer mistakenly withheld from my pay.
 
Some more details...

Last year, this repeal of the license requirement for concealed carry was submitted as SB454, and passed the Senate but failed to pass the House.

That makes this hearing particularly important, as an opportunity to influence the vote in the part of the legislature that needs the most influencing.

One of the members of the committee is Rep. Elbert "Bick" Bicknell, who is also the current president of Gun Owners of New Hampshire. Nine other members of the nineteen-member committee were ranked A or A- by GONH last year, including two freshman legislators, so the prospect of a favorable result from this committee looks promising.

The following committee members are the ones to target with convincing argument, given their GO-NH grades:

C- Frank D. Callaghan (d)
D+ William V. Knowles (d)
D+ Lori A. Movsesian (d)
D- George D. Winchell (r+d)
D Laura C. Pantelakos (d)
F Gene P. Charron (r+d)
F Timothy N. Robertson (d)
F Lee M. Hammond (d)
F Peter M. Sullivan (d)

You can look up their e-mail addresses and phone numbers at the General Court website.

Even if you can't make it to the hearing, please be sure to draft your best letter making the case for repealing concealed carry licenses and send it to these nine representatives.

If anyone has any stories of armed self-defense in a case of attempted rape, Rep. Movsesian and Rep. Pantelakos are the only female members of this committee, and they need to hear those stories by, or on, Tuesday. Talk about the problem posed by the 14-day wait that RSA 159:4 imposes on carry licensing, and the fact that without a license you're rendered defenseless while in a motor vehicle, for example.

Again, I hope to see you on Tuesday morning!
 
Well, I feel like an idiot (no more than usual, mind you ;) )

It figures that I wouldn't see the notice about the hearing until AFTER it was over. Dang! If I had known it was happening, I most definitely would have been there. :(

Anyone who was there, kindly post the goings-on of the day, please.

Thanks
 
There were only two people who testified against it - the spokesman for the Police Chiefs' Association who had been instructed by that organization's board to oppose it, and a woman who lost a family member to a criminal who happened to be using a gun, who thought that anyone carrying a gun is liable to snap and start shooting at any second.

The rest of us made the full range of points - police have no legal duty to protect; battered spouse needs to carry NOW, not 14 days from now; abuse of the licensing process by some police chiefs; and so on.

My media player locked up so I couldn't play the recording of the 911 call, but I provided a transcript and a copy of the CD to Rep. Stevens, the clerk of the committee. Hopefully that'll shut down Rep. Robertson's argument that we can just carry openly.

And MissileCop - you have another opportunity. The hearing for HB454 is next week, Feb 16 at 2pm, same place. This bill is identical to HB285 but adds an assertion of "full faith and credit" Consitutional protection for NH residents. Might be impractical, but it'll serve to keep the anti-gunners on the defensive.
 
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